[Peace-discuss] Japanese warning

Sat Mar 12 14:15:20 CST 2011

Sunday, March 13, 2011

  Meltdown Caused Nuke Plant Explosion: Safety Body

TOKYO (Nikkei)--The Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency (NISA) said Saturday 
afternoon the explosion at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear plant could only have 
been caused by a meltdown of the reactor core.

The same day, Tokyo Electric Power Co. (9501) 
<http://e.nikkei.com/e/app/ac/market/companyoverview.aspx?scode=9501>, which 
runs the plant, began to flood the damaged reactor with seawater to cool it 
down, resorting to measures that could rust the reactor and force the utility to 
scrap it.

Cesium and iodine, by-products of nuclear fission, were detected around the 
plant, which would make the explosion the worst accident in the roughly 50-year 
history of Japanese nuclear power generation.

An explosion was heard near the plant's No. 1 reactor about 3:30 p.m. and plumes 
of white smoke went up 10 minutes later. The ceiling of the building housing the 
reactor collapsed, according to information obtained by Fukushima prefectural 
authorities.

At a news conference Saturday night, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano 
discounted the possibility of a significant leak of radioactive material from 
the accident. "The walls of the building containing the reactor were destroyed, 
meaning that the metal container encasing the reactor did not explode," Edano said.

The amount of radiation detected inside the plant after 4:00 p.m. slightly 
exceeded the dose people can safely receive in a year, according to information 
obtained by the Fukushima prefectural government.

The No. 1 reactor shut down automatically soon after a massive earthquake hit 
the area Friday, but its emergency core cooling system failed to cool the 
reactor's core sufficiently.

NISA is affiliated with the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry.

(The Nikkei March 13 edition)

On 3/12/11 1:02 PM, C. G. Estabrook wrote:
> The question is, Is he right about the result of similar earthquake off the 
> California coast?
>
> "No One Can be Wrong All the Time."  --News from Neptune
>
> On 3/12/11 11:54 AM, Brussel Morton K. wrote:
>> Harvey Wassserman is a no nothing, IMHO.  --mkb
>>
>> On Mar 12, 2011, at 1:16 AM, C. G. Estabrook wrote:
>>
>>> Concerning the proximity of the large earthquake in Japan’s recorded history 
>>> to nuclear reactors, Bob Alvarez writes today on [CounterPunch.org],
>>>
>>> “In the aftermath of the largest earthquake to occur in Japan in recorded 
>>> history, 5,800 residents living within five miles of six reactors at the 
>>> Fukushima nuclear station have been advised to evacuate and people living 
>>> within 15 miles of the plant are advised to remain indoors.
>>>
>>> “Plant operators have not been able to cool down the core of one reactor 
>>> containing enormous amounts of radioactivity because of failed back-up 
>>> diesel generators required for the emergency cooling….Early on Japanese 
>>> nuclear officials provided reassurances that no radiation has been released. 
>>> However, because of the reactor remains at a very high temperature, 
>>> radiation levels are rising on the turbine building – forcing to plant 
>>> operators to vent radioactive steam into the environment.”
>>>
>>> Perhaps the news that Japanese nuclear reactors have been damaged and that 
>>> clouds of official deception are already rising above them will cool the 
>>> revival of enthusiasm for building new nuclear plants here in the US, 
>>> spearheaded politically by President Obama and okayed by major green groups 
>>> using the cover of alleged AGW, as long ago planned by the nuclear industry.
>>>
>>> As Harvey Wasserman points out on this site today:
>>>
>>> “Had the violent 8.9 Richter-scale earthquake that has just savaged Japan 
>>> hit off the California coast, it could have ripped apart at least four 
>>> coastal reactors and sent a lethal cloud of radiation across the entire 
>>> United States.
>>>
>>> “The two huge reactors each at San Onofre and Diablo Canyon are not designed 
>>> to withstand such powerful shocks. All four are extremely close to major 
>>> faults.”
>>>
>>> --from<http://www.counterpunch.org/cockburn03112011.html>.
>>>
>>> =====================
>>> [Peace-discuss] Japanese warning
>>> E. Wayne Johnson ewj at pigs.ag
>>> Fri Mar 11 19:33:53 CST 2011
>>>
>>> After you stop (nay, pause) for just a moment,
>>> consider, and reflect upon, how much, and how deeply,
>>> the directors and stockholders of Illinois Power (now Ameren)
>>> really and truly care about the health and happiness
>>> of the people of central Illinois,
>>> you will be much encouraged.
>>> I am quite sure of that.
>>>
>>> [pppfffffffft.]
>>>
>>> On 3/12/2011 9:13 AM, Robert Naiman wrote:
>>>> The massive earthquake that forced the closure of four nuclear power
>>>> plants in Japan has highlighted the grave risk of inadequate back-up
>>>> generators at U.S. facilities, a leading U.S. scientist group said on
>>>> Friday.
>>>>
>>>> While the U.S. regulator made clear that the national nuclear fleet is
>>>> built to withstand the biggest earthquakes in history, scientists said
>>>> they needed to do more to ensure that future quakes don't risk the
>>>> kind of reactor impact that Japan is now grappling with.
>>>>
>>>> "We do not believe the safety standards for U.S. nuclear reactors are
>>>> enough to protect the public today," Edwin Lyman, senior scientist,
>>>> global security programs, at the Union of Concerned Scientists, told
>>>> Reuters. The group supports nuclear power as a means to combat global
>>>> warming, but wants tougher safety measures.
>>>>
>>>> - Reuters: Scientists Say Japan Quake Shows US Nuclear Risk
>>>> http://au.news.yahoo.com/queensland/a/-/technology/8998257/scientists-say-japan-quake-shows-us-nuclear-risk/ 
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> On Fri, Mar 11, 2011 at 5:58 PM, C. G. Estabrook<galliher at illinois.edu>  
>>>> wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> Given the damage to Japanese nuclear reactors from the earthquake, what do
>>>>> you think would happen to the nuclear reactor down the road in Clinton, IL,
>>>>> if a similar quake should occur along the New Madrid fault? --CGE
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